How many times are we told to read the labels on the food we buy? That’s all well and good but one can spend hours reading and it won’t really help unless you know what to look out for so here is a basic summary of what should make you sit up and take notice. Please note that most of the information for this post was taken from a leaflet for the World Cancer Research Fund, please visit their website for further information: www.wcrf-uk.org

Engergy:

Energy is measured in kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal), although many people also speak of just plain Calories (Cals). Generally it is accepted that to maintain a healthy weight, women should consume no more than 2000 Calories a day and men 2500 Calories. One Calorie is equivalent to 4,186 kilojoules so to work out your kilojoule allowance you would multiply the number of Calories by 4,186, you can also use the converter at: http://www.jsward.com/cooking/appendices.shtml.

Naturally, these are only guidelines and people who do sport and/or lead a very active lifestyle would need more Calories, children would need less.

Try to balance the Calories you take in with the Calories you use up through exercise and conscious food choices.

Protein:

On food labels, protein is expressed in grams (g). We need protein for growth and repair, it also plays a role in metabolism. When choosing protein to include in your diet, try to opt for fish, poultry, game or vegetarian sources such as tofu as red meat can be high in saturated fat.

On the Eat-Salad Lifestyle, we recommend having at least one protein based meal a day, preferably from fish, poultry, game or vegetarian sources. Include nuts in your diet as these are also a good protein source.

Carbohydrate:

Just like protein, carbohydrate is expressed in grams (g). Remember though that often the amount of carbohydrate indicated on a food label includes both complex and simple carbohydrates(sugars). Ideally we should try to base our carbohydrate meals around complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, wholemeal breads and wholemeal pastas.

Some food labels make a distinction between sugars and complex carbohydrate content, making it easier to see how much sugar you are consuming in your daily meals.

On the Eat-Salad Lifestyle, we recommend that you include only complex carbohydrates in your meals when possible, these give a slow release of energy, helping you to stay active and alert for longer during your day.

Fat:

Fat contains twice as many calories as carbohydrates and protein. By now we are all aware that there are good fats and bad fats. Fats such as saturated and Trans fats are the bad guys and too much of these fats in our daily diet can lead to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease and some cancers. Unsaturated fats are the good guys and are the best to include in a healthy diet, as some fat is necessary for optimal health.

Some sources:

Saturated fats: meat, dairy products, processed foods.

Trans fats or hydrogenated fats: margarines, some ready meals, some processed foods such as biscuits or cakes.

Unsaturated fats:

Monounsaturates: olive oil, nuts, avocadoes.

Polyunsaturates: oily fish, nuts and seeds, sunflower and soya oils (take note that all oils should be kept away from light and oxygen, otherwise their nutritional value deteriorates, thus oils sold in clear bottles are not a valuable addition to a healthy diet).

On the Eat-Salad Lifestyle we recommend that you take an Omega 3,6,9 supplement, eat oily fish at least twice a week, add nuts and seeds to your daily diet and use cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil for all cooking and salad dressings. Flax seed oil can also be a healthy addition to salad dressings but should not be used for cooking.

Generally it is recommended that women should aim for no more than 70 grams of total fat a day (of which 20 grams can be saturates) and men for no more than 95 grams a day (of which 30 grams can be saturates). Again these are only guidelines and individual needs will vary.

Fibre:

There are two types of fibre, soluble and unsoluble fibre, both which are good for us. Soluble fibre can assist in controlling blood glucose (sugar) levels and can also have a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol levels. Soluble fibre can be found in pulses, fruit and vegetables and oats.

Insoluble fibre is the kind that helps to keep our bowels regular and is mainly found in wholegrain breads, bran products and cereals.

Foods that contain more than 6 grams of fibre per 100 grams are thought to have good levels of fibre.

Sodium:

Sodium is part of salt and is listed in grams or milligrams (mg) on food labels. If a label does not list the sodium and salt content seperately you can work it out yourself by multiplying the sodium content by 2,5.

For example: o,4 g of sodium x 2,5 = 1 gram of salt.

Some salt is necessary in a healthy, balanced diet but most of have a daily intake that is much too high. Try to eat less than 6 grams (about one level teaspoon) of salt a day (2,4 g of sodium). Watch out for ‘hidden’ salt in processed and canned foods and try not to add salt to your food at the table.

On the Eat-Salad Lifestyle we recommend that you experiment with using herbs, spices and vegetable based flavourings to enhance the taste of your food. Coarse sea salt, Maldon salt or Himalayan rock salt are good sources of minerals and are a tasty alternative to table salt as we know it.

Ingredients:

It is useful to know that ingredients on a food label are listed in descending weight. Thus the first ingredient is the main ingredient in the product. Take a look at the label to make sure that products contain good levels of what they claim to contain.

Use by date:

Foods are unsafe to eat after this date.

Best before date:

Foods can still be safe to eat after this date but may not be at their best anymore.

Food labels often also contain storage and cooking or defrosting instructions, try to follow these guidelines to ensure optimal taste once your food is prepared.

The United Kingdom Food Standards Agency gives the following guidelines for food labels:

Total Fat: A lot per 100 g of food= 20 g or more

A little per 100 g of food = 3 g or less

Saturates: A lot per 100 g of food = 5 g or more

A little per 100 g of food = 1 g or less

Sodium: A lot per 100 g of food = 0,5 g or more

A little per 100 g of food = 0,1 g or less

Sugars: A lot per 100 g of food = 10 g or more

A little per 100 g of food = 2 g or less

Remember that ultimately we are responsible for what we put into our bodies, equipping ourselves with the knowledge to make healthy choices is a responsibility which we should take seriously, our bodies will thank us!

So what, exactly, is the ‘Eat-Salad’ way of life?

Mmm, the million dollar (I hope!) question. Well, the ‘Eat-

Salad’ way of life consists of a few building blocks:

Diet:

The ‘Eat-Salad’ way of eating includes: whole grains,

fruits and vegetables which are local and in season, vegetable

proteins, legumes, healthy cold-pressed oils, nuts, seeds and if

you are not a vegetarian, fish, poultry and game.

It excludes  wherever possible: artificial sugars such as aspartame, white

flour and white flour products, unhealthy fats, red meat,

caffeine, soft drinks, most alcohol and artificial flavourings

such as msg. Both these lists are in no way exhaustive.

Basically on the ‘Eat-Salad’ way of life, one tries to eat

simply, including food as close to it’s natural state as

possible. I am not brave enough to try an all-raw diet for

longer than a few days so for me it is about attempting to make

my daily diet 75% raw foods, which for most of us could be

enough of a challenge!

Exercise:

Daily exercise is something which no-one should

compromise on, even if you can only walk to the corner and back

or jump on a rebounder for 10 minutes, slowly building up to a

longer time. Not only does exercise help you to build up fitness

levels and stamina, it also helps you to release plenty of those

feel-good endorphins and improve your respiratory function. As a

general guideline one should aim for an absolute minimum of 3

thirty minute sessions a week, one thirty minute session a day

would of course be far more ideal!

I love exercise such as yoga, swimming, walking and cycling and

when possible, dancing. The important thing is to find something

which you genuinely enjoy doing and being realistic as to how

much you can do, taking it one step at a time!

Reflection:

In order to live a truly balanced life, it is also

important to take some time in which to just reflect. This could

take the form of meditation, ten minutes of quiet time with your

coffee in the morning, a few minutes of listening to your

favourite music on your i-pod during your lunch break or taking

a gentle stroll through the garden before dinner each evening.

The idea is to have time where your mind is freed from having to

think about the stresses of the day, where you allow ‘head-

space’ for new ideas and creative solutions to problems. Try to

make this a daily habit and you will soon find you miss it if

you skip a day!

Passion:

If you ask any successful entrepreneur whether they are

passionate about what they do, I doubt their answer is going to

be: ‘kind of..’! Being passionate about something gives you more

energy and stamina with which to accomplish your goals. Having

something to look forward to or even better, doing work you

love, definitely makes for a happier life overall! If you are

feeling listless and de-motivated, use your reflection time to

try and find something you’ve always wanted to do. Then, do the

research necessary to find out the first steps..and then, you

guessed it, just do it!

Well, there you have it, join me in incorporating these four

elements into your life, I wish you health, vitality and lots of

fun in the process!

As the old year ends, I always have a sense of completion and some excitement and sometimes nervousness about what the new  year may bring. This past year, I have undergone major challenges regarding my health, all linked directly to my nutrition and lifestyle and as such have been reminded of how important it is to pay attention to how I nurture myself, with food and in other ways. Thus, I thought it may be a nice idea to make this next year a year of finding the way of eating (and living) which makes me feel most alive, energetic and healthy and sharing my findings with you (aren’t you lucky?:-) ).

Most of us are really ‘connected’ to how we eat. I’ve recently been doing research for an article on vegetarianism and fruitarianism and it made me realise yet again how intimately we view our diet. Even if  you are someone who doesn’t ‘pay much attention’ to food, just wait until you are asked to change  your way of eating and you will be surprised at how important your food suddenly becomes! So, with this in mind, my reasoning is such, if I change/improve/expand my relationship with food, this will directly impact on the rest of my life..

From March 2010, I will be posting my experiences of the ‘Eat-Salad’ way of life, reporting on what it’s like to ‘practise what I preach’ and you are as always welcome to comment or mail me with any questions. I do not claim to be an expert in any field and none of my posts should ever be seen as medical advice, these are my own opinions and/or research and where possible I will try my best to give links/references and acknowledgements when I use the writings or work of others to support my posts. If I have not credited where credit is due, please do let me know.

See you in March!

Last week at a client meeting, I was asked the question,’what is the difference between a carbohydrate and a starch?’, well, to my own surprise and embarrassment, I couldn’t answer! So here is the low-down on carbs and starches, I hope you find it as interesting as I do! All the information for this article was taken from one of my all-time favourite nutrition books: ‘Staying Healthy with Nutrition’ by Elson Haas MD. (ISBN:0-89087-481-6, Celestial Arts Publishing, Berkeley, California, 94707). Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are my own.

What is a carbohydrate?

Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and are the product of photosynthesis in plants. As they contain carbon and come from living sources they are classified as organic molecules.

Types of carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are classified according to their structure and as such there are three main classifications: sugars, starches (there is the answer!) and fibre. Sugars are further divided into monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose and galactose and disaccharides such as lactose, sucrose and maltose. Starches are also known as polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates (because they are made up of long chains of glucose molecules, unlike mono- or disaccharides). Fibre is mainly found as indigestible cellulose in the coverings of cereals grains or the skins of fruits and vegetables.

So how is starch different to carbohydrates?

Well, as we can see above, starch is one ‘type’ of carbohydrate, thus a ‘no-starch’ diet will mean that you are cutting out one form of carbohydrate but not all of them. A ‘no-carbohydrate’ diet, if followed correctly(and technically) would mean that you are cutting out all forms of carbohydrates, which includes sugars and fibre. We all know that some sugar is needed in a healthy diet and fibre is a rather important part of good digestion so this leads me to say that probably a ‘no-starch’ or ‘low-starch’ diet is a slightly better option than a ‘no-carbohydrate’ or ‘low-carbohydrate’ diet. However, please note that it is in no way my recommendation that anyone goes on either of these diets. A healthy diet (even one for weight loss in particular) should include all the food groups, rather focus on eating the right kind of carbohydrates in healthy amounts than leaving them out all together.

So what are healthy carbohydrates?

Well, it depends on your individual needs. A sportsperson or athlete may require different kinds of carbohydrates than someone who is more sedentary in their daily life. However as a general rule of thumb, it is better to look at the complex carbohydrates (starches) such as whole grains(rice, corn), potatoes and carrots for sustained energy and some simple sugars combined with fibre in the form of fruits. Honey is also simple sugar which is a good source of ‘quick-release’ energy. Refined carbohydrates such as cakes and pastries are best avoided, not only do these products contain high levels of unhealthy fats, the carbohydrates they contain can elevate glucose levels in the blood and tissue, thus a diet rich in these foods could lead to blood-sugar imbalance and other sugar-related health problems. As always, moderation is key!

A final note on weight loss:

If you are trying to lose weight, try to investigate how you can change your entire diet to contain foods which are conducive to health and well-being rather than ‘cutting out’ or avoiding one type of food only. By removing a particular food or food group from your diet, you stand the chance of developing nutrient deficiencies later on and you are also not looking at why you are carrying excess weight and how you can improve your lifestyle and choices. Common sense goes a long way and in addition educating yourself about healthier foods is a good way of taking the first step on your weight-loss journey.

I hope this has provided some answers! As always, feel welcome to comment or drop me an email!

How often have you just had a ‘hunch’ about something and found yourself to have been right? It may have been something as small as knowing who is calling before you answer the phone (and no I’m not talking about caller ID!) or as big as taking a turn somewhere and avoiding a fatal accident or getting on the ‘wrong’ train and meeting the love of your life.

For many of us, intuition is something we feel occasionally graces us with its gift, however we don’t really see it as part of our everyday life, definitely not as a sixth sense, always present.

The truth is, with todays rushed lifestyles, we don’t allow much space for our intuition to come through. When we allow quiet time in our day, the chances of us being alert to our own intuitive messages are so much greater.

I think of intuition sort of like a map, it’s always available, you just need to know how to read it and seeing as you are the cartographer of your own particular intuition map, you can decide how the signals work for you. In my own case, I recently had a few instances where I was about to do something when I felt a heavyness on my chest and my throat became tight, it was a feeling of a few seconds but it was enough to make me pause in what I was doing and all three times, it helped me to avoid potentially upsetting, disastrous or dangerous situations.

I have also had times when I would be daydreaming during a walk or just before going to sleep and something would come up, a fleeting thought, not really as strong sensation at all, yet a few days later I would find myself in a situation where that thought had important relevance. I think of these times as ‘heads up’ from my intuitive self.

How do we access our intuitive self?

Well, as always, everyone is different and I bet that if you spent some time thinking about it you would realise that you have had a few ‘moments’ yourself. Think about when those moments happened and then try to remember what you were doing at the time which allowed you to be open to that information. For example, you may have been reading a book or listening to music, most likely, you were in a space where you weren’t TRYING to access anything and quite probably, you were relaxed. Of course there are times when our intuition steps in to save us from dangerous situations but those are not the times I am referring to right now.

When we allow ourselves times of silence and solitude, it opens up the channels of communication to our inner voice or intuition. We create a space for knowledge to become known to us, knowledge which, quite possibly, has been lying dormant in our psyche and just needed us to pay attention. Meditation, yoga, prayer and visualization time are all ways of allowing this space. When we consciously decide to be still and ‘listen’ to the self, we are giving our Selves permission to speak, we are essentially saying: I am listening, please tell me what I need to know.

Doing this not only helps us to access our intuition more easily, it can also prevent us from finding ourselves in uncomfortable situations in our daily lives, when we are listening to our inner voice, we are much more likely to realise when we are too tired and should not drive or when we are feeling strange in our bodies and need a few days off to avoid a cold. We can hear the message which says, ‘follow the yellow brick road’ and we can find our dreams.

Intuition and business.

Some of the great business minds of our time, have followed their own inner knowing against all odds and today have some of the most successful businesses on the planet. Richard Branson started his empire with 4 pounds, he didn’t have  a handy manual with step by-step-instructions all the way, sometimes he had to rely on his ‘hunches’. The late Anita Roddick (founder of The Body Shop) started her business by doing door-to-door sales, she had no way of knowing it would become a world wide chain, somewhere she just had to trust that she was on the right track and as we know now, her intuition was spot on.

However you choose to access your inner voice, try to do it every day, give yourself the gift of being a good listener and I hope that you will be as pleasantly rewarded as I am, every day.

Ever since I can remember I have been easily influenced by sounds. I used to spend hours in the one local museum, listening to the recordings of whale song, over and over again. It made me feel peaceful and allowed my mind to drift to the furthest reaches of my young imagination.

Later when I started listening to more music, I noticed that certain genres were too ‘heavy’ for me, I would find myself becoming more aggresive after listening to certain songs or beats and vice versa, I could also calm myself down by listening to calming music.

Sound has been used as a healing and calming agent for many hundreds of years. Many religions have chants and songs of praise and even in pagan times there were songs to be sung for welcoming the harvest, the rain, the Spring and so forth. Toning is a way of using sound to heal the body and even those who cannot hear can use sound to heal by feeling the vibrations caused by a certain sound.

Animal sounds.

Whales can communicate over vast distances using sound and bats send out a pitch so high, we as humans cannot hear it. Many animals seem to ‘talk’ to one another using a variety of sounds and there are of course the birds like parrots who can mimic sounds of other species.

Sound in our lives.

So how do we use sound to heal and connect?

Think of walking next to the sea, imagine the sound of the waves and the cry of the sea-gulls.. feeling relaxed? Even just the memory of some sounds can make us feel calm and centred within seconds and, as the opposite is also true, it is important that we are conscious about which sounds we expose ourselves to.

Have a music day.

Take a day or afternoon and go through your cd collection, you’ll be surprised at what you find and what feelings are brought to the fore. You may laugh at the music from your first date and cry at the song which was playing just after your first child was born. You may miss old friends and decide to connect again. Music can be a storehouse for memories and listening to it can recall events almost as if they happened yesterday. Having a ‘music day’ every now and then is a wonderful way of accessing a whole host of emotions.

Focus.

Use music to help you focus while working on a project or studying for an exam, find the music which most helps to focus your mind and compile yourself a cd to play at these times.

Motivate.

Use music to up your tempo when exercising or to wake you up when you have to get up earlier than usual. Preset your radio or cd player to switch on along with your alarm, a much nicer way to start your day!

Sound does not only have to involve listening, making sound can also be a healing experience, think of how good you feel singing in the shower! If you are someone who enjoys singing but you have let it fall by the wayside due to work or other commitments then make the effort to fit some singing into your life. Find a local choir or join a group at your church or community centre and free your voice, you’ll be amazed at how it impacts on your life.

However you use sound in your life, remember it is one more blessing we have been given to connect with our inner selves and the world around us in ever more authentic ways.

Our sense of touch must be one of the most delightful parts of existing in a physical body! Not only does it bring us pleasure, it also alerts us to danger and notifies us when something is not quite right.

Touch as a sense is experienced by touching something but in my opinion also by being touched. Thus when we are thinking about how to incorporate the sense of touch more into our lifes we can also think about  Swedish massage, reflexology, shiatsu, acupressure and much more.

If you have a furry friend as a pet, I am sure you are familiar with the immense sense of calm that is experienced when stroking them or the warm fuzzy feeling when your cat rubs itself against your legs. Some textures are more pleasing than others, it’s true, I wouldn’t want to get up close and personal with a hedgehog, that’s for sure!

So how can we use touch to bring us into the ‘now’ and benefit ourselves mentally and physically?

Massage.

Massaging in your body lotion (sense of smell) after a bath or shower is a good time to explore the sense of self administered touch. Really put thought into your movements and spend a little extra time on areas where your muscles feel tense, besides helping you relax, this exercise also puts you more ‘in touch’ (excuse the pun!) with your body.

Alternatively, book a Swedish massage or other bodywork modality treatment at least once a month. If your budget does not stretch to this then do a ‘massage swap’ with a friend or partner, you will notice the benefits, trust me!

Non-visual visualization.

Use your sense of touch to guide your mind, for example, hold a small pebble from the beach in your hand while you meditate. Just holding the pebble will make it easier for you to take your mind into a visualization where you are sitting on the beach in the setting sun. Put a bowl of body temperature water by your desk at home and put your feet in it when you start getting that ‘frazzled’ feeling. Believe me, it works! You can even put some smooth pebbles in the bottom of the bowl and imagine to yourself that you are walking in a stream.

Nature’s touch.

Feel the texture of the bark of a tree and then let the lower leaves brush your hands or cheeks. Take off your shoes when you are walking on the grass and you’ll be surprised and pleased to discover that you feel much more ‘grounded’ after walking this way for a short while.

Comforting touch.

Wrap yourself in a mohair blanket or wear silk pjs when you need to feel just that little more comforted. Make a cocoon in your duvet or snuggle into your favourite jersey. It sure beats the calorie count in a bar of chocolate!

Be conscious.

Allow yourself to touch and be touched, take someones hand and give them yours. Be aware of your intention when touching or being touched and be willing to experience your world in a more ‘hands on’ way!

Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I really, really, really enjoy my food:-). I would have to admit that this is true!

As we are looking at the senses and how to use them to enhance our health and well-being, let’s take a look at the role played by taste.. In Ayurveda they define six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Ayurvedic wisdom advises that including a little of each of these tastes in each main meal can help to balance the system and minimize cravings. For an amazing article on tastes and the elements visit: http://www.kitchendoctor.com/Ayurveda/taste-elements.html, very interesting!

Examples of foods related to each taste:

sweet: carrots, beet sugar

sour: lemons, yoghurt

salty: sea salt, rock salt

bitter: endive, dandelion, turmeric, coriander

pungent: radish, ginger root

astringent: cilantro, broccoli

For myself, taste is one of the most sensual ways I ‘connect’ with my life and world, good bread dipped in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and washed down with some good red wine, mmmm, heaven:-)!

Seriously though, when is the last time you really ‘tasted’ your food? Too often, we are so pressed for time that we rush through breakfast (if we have it at all), grab a sandwich for lunch and cook whatever is quick and easy for dinner. It can be so different, food and experiencing it (the preparing and the eating) can become a joy and pleasure and you and your family will reap wonderful benefits such as improved health, more quality time spent together and more relaxed outlooks on life.

When choosing your food in the supermarket or on the farmers market, try to imagine the flavours in your mouth, think about which dishes you are going to prepare and taste the different spices and herbs you are going to add. This conscious ‘tasting’ of your imagination already sets you up to enjoy the meal so much more and when you eventually really eat the food, there is a feeling of fulfillment as your ‘taste’ experience has now come full circle.

Explore.

Explore and experiment with different tastes as ways to discover new cultures and interesting feedback about your own nature. Trying something spicy when you usually only eat plain food could open up a whole world of new flavours you did not know existed! Be open and adventurous and you may just be pleasantly surprised!

Some of my favourite tastes:(in no particular order)

- wholewheat pasta with olive oil, garlic, ginger powder and chillies, crumbled feta and a glass of red

- hummous

- dark chocolate

- fresh baguette dipped in olive oil and greek yoghurt

- salad with lemon and olive oil dressing a la Hendricus (my Dad)

- spicy butternut soup

- fresh berry juice

- fresh orange juice

- spicy rice crackers/corn chips and avo dip

- anything my mother cooks!

Let me tell you, that list is in no way exhaustive:-)!

Open your mind, open your mouth and let the tastes transport you!

Happy tasting!

I don’t know about you but I’m very affected by smells. I can smell something in passing and immediately be transported back to an event or experience years ago, which has a strong association with that particular scent.

Scents are another way of connecting to our memories and also the present moment, they can help us relax and even re-energise us, aromatherapy hasn’t been around for thousands of years for nothing!

My favourite smells.

Is there anything quite as mouthwatering as the smell of freshly baked (or baking) bread? I remember as a child one of the best treats was to have the crust of the bread, straight from the oven and lathered with farm butter, mmmm…

These days we have to worry about carbohydrate addiction and bad fats! But, I digress, back to scents..When I cannot sleep a few drops of lavender essential oil in a hot bath is wonderfully relaxing and when I need to clear my head putting some peppermint or lemon geranium oil in my oil burner is a great help.

Scents can help to create the space for meditation, burning incense or using essential oils in a burner are ways to fill your home with calming, cleansing smells, putting you in the right frame of mind to connect with your inner voice.

Some  essential oil scents and their attributes:

Basil – good for mental fatigue and insomnia.

Chamomile – calming and can make one sleepy so don’t use when you need to drive.

Eucalyptus – useful to inhale when your head and nose feel ’stuffy’ or when you need a clear head to study or work.

Frankincense – wonderful to use when meditating, helps to calm the mind and emotions, very grounding.

Jasmine – uplifting for when you feel ‘under the weather’ or have a case of the ‘blues’.

Lavender – relaxing, calming, good to help alleviate headaches and makes a lovely addition to baby’s bath water.

Lemongrass – uplifting scent and a great insect repellent, burn it in a vapourizer during Summer to keep the mosquitos at bay!

Neroli – also known as ‘orange blossom’ this scent is one of my favourites, it is sensual and calming and is great for when you want to feel extra feminine.

Peppermint – fresh and uplifting and great for clearing your sinuses and head!

Rose – the top of the charts when it comes to scents, rose oil is the way to go if you are in an ultra luxuriant mood and want to feel calm, feminine, loving and give yourself a confidence boost!

Tea-Tree – the scent of tea-tree oil can be slightly anti-septic but it is a wonder for clearing stuffy sinuses and the general uncomfortable symptoms associated with colds and flu. Use a few drops in a bowl of hot water and cover your head with a towel to inhale the scent.

Ylang-ylang – Right up there with Jasmine, Rose and Neroli, Ylang-ylang is a sensual, feminine scent and is a great one to use for calming nervous tension. Be careful to only use a very small amount as the smell is quite powerful!

Using scents in the bath:

If you are using essential oils in the bath, make sure to mix them with a carrier (or base) oil or some milk before adding them to the water. 2-3 drops to a tablespoon of carrier oil should be plenty.

Burning scented candles is another way of bringing the benefits of scent into your home and has the bonus of also incorporating colour!

So, however you choose to work with your sense of smell, be creative, explore with new scents and above all, enjoy!

Tomorrow we take a look at how to tickle our tastebuds..

How many times do you get into bed and realise you feel like you just rushed through your day, not really experiencing anything fully? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Many of us, myself included, sometimes feel that life is rushing past and we don’t know how to catch up!

This morning, with the sun making a much needed appearance, I decided to go for a walk by the sea and as often happens on these walks, I got to thinking, this time about how to get more ‘in touch’ with my life.

Our Senses.

Think about the last time you felt you were really ‘in the moment’, chances are it has something to do with a sensory experience, such as a smell, sight, sound, taste or feeling. Our senses are our ‘connection’ to the world and they can also be the key to bringing us into the here and now.

Let’s look at some ways to incorporate sensory experience consciously into our lives..

Sight.

Something I notice myself doing when I am taking one of my walks, is that my mind wanders and I don’t really see the beauty of the day around me. When I make the effort to really look and really see, I find that I finish my walk refreshed and rejuvenated as my mind has had a rest and I’ve been visually nourished by the uplifting images of the sun on the waves, children playing, a seagull swooping past, a dog barking in the surf..

Bringing our vision back to ‘now’ is a wonderful way to notice the wonders which surround us and put our worries on the back burner for a while. Taking our eyes to the outside rather than proceeding on automatic while planning into the future, helps us to feel gratitude for what we see and be more present in the day and moment.

Colour therapy.

Different colours influence our mood in different ways and incorporating colour into your daily visual experience can be of great benefit to your mental and emotional wellbeing. Try buying colourful stationery, having bright cushions in your living room, putting a vase of flowers on your kitchen table and wearing a scarf or top which expresses the colour of your mood that day. Take a minute and just immerse yourself in the yellow of a sunflower, the blue hues of the waves, the pink of your little ones cheeks or the fire of the setting sun. Drink in the colour, imagining that you are taking it into your body with your breath and as you breathe out, imaging any worries or physical aches leaving your body.

Tomorrow we will take a look at how to celebrate your sense of smell.. for now I’m off to make the most of a Spring evening outside!